A Rainy Week
by taylorbrine
Summary: One rainy week in Arcadia Bay the lives of both Kate Marsh and Chloe Price collide. AKA the one where instead of Max and Chloe solving crime together Kate and Chloe solve crimes together, (and details change but whatevs)
1. Kate Marsh

**Kate Marsh**

The girls dormitory was teeming with life in the late hours of the day, and the pitter patter of rain along with the hum of her neighbors music was just loud enough to wake Kate up.  
It was another late night, they had been coming often lately to Kate. She was lucky enough so far to have only stumbled upon them during weekends, but in her current state these late nights may start spilling into the weekdays.  
Kate rolled out of her cocoon on the bed and caught a glance of herself in the mirror.  
 _Tired_ , she thought.  
She looked as bad as she felt. It wasn't the weather, although funnily enough the overcast outside was actually more comforting than the rest of her surroundings. She was just so, _tired_. An indescribable feeling of... Unwelcomeness. Like a permanently unsettled stomach. _Why can't this whole video just blow over?..._

Kate was upset with herself for letting another day slip away.

 _Had anyone even noticed I was gone?_

She looked for her phone to see if anyone tried to contact her during her overdue sleep. Apparently she had fallen asleep on it, because the phone was buried under her pile of blankets. Kate skipped through the messages

 **Mom sent Yesterday**

 **Hi Katie dear! Your father and I wanted to know how your first month of art school had gone? I called but it went straight to voicemail. Please call as soon as you read this, love you sweetie!**

 **Alyssa sent at 8:54 AM**

 **Yo Kate, wanna grab some lunch after I finish my swim meet? Txt back soon pls.**

 **sent at 11:09 AM**

 **Hey did you get my message? I'm already out at lunch with Stella now but you can still join us at Two Whales.**

 **Max sent at 7:09 PM**

 **Kate Alyssa is trying to contact you and can't, are you okay?**

 **sent at 7:20 PM**

 **Okay I'm gonna stop by your room soon to check on you unless you reply.**

After reading the last message, Kate panicked. She quickly tried to type a reply but her tired fumbling fingers were too slow. She noticed herself slowly becoming more and more overwhelmed by the inaccuracy of her typing and stopped everything to take a deep breath.

She closed her eyes and focused on the pitter patter of the rain to keep herself from tipping, taking note of the leaves rustling in tune with their calming splashes.

 _You need to calm down. You can't make Max or Alyssa worry about you. Just take your time, its just typing. Jeez..._

Kate heard a gentle knock on her door just then.

"Kate? It's Max, I'm coming in okay?"

Kate sat up from the bed eyes flittering open. Max took a good look at the dimly lit cluttered room, immediately realizing that Kate was not acting normal.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Hey, Max. I'm sorry I just couldn't find my phone charger all day so I had no way to see yours or Alyssa's texts."

"Okay, but, did you take a nap or something you just look so tired."

As Max spoke she went to sit next to Kate on her bed.

"Oh! No, i'm just… Not wearing makeup right now that's all…" Kate stood, scooting away a little bit. She tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to make the messy bun look a little more presentable.

Max didn't believe her. And Kate knew that, but it was just easier for the two of them to pretend.

"Okay." Max stood up "Well, do you wanna maybe get some tea with me right now? I know it's a bit late but-"

"Max I'm sorry but I can't right now. I need to do homework and stuff," Kate lied "but, maybe we could do something another time."

Of course Max knew Kate was lying again, but recognized that she obviously just wanted to be left alone right now, so Max decided to drop it.

"Okay then, I'll be just a few doors down in my room if you need me. Also, don't forget to call Alyssa and let her know you're okay. She was pretty worried."

"Yeah, thanks Max."

The two stood there together for a moment, both unsure of what to do next, then parting ways.

Kate flopped back onto the bed and closed her eyes, letting the start of Max's music again calm her nerves and carry her off into sleep


	2. Victoria Chase and Nathan Prescott

**Victoria Chase and Nathan Prescott**

The stench of smoke dispersed through the room while both Victoria and Nathan heard the neighbor's hipster music start to play softly again. Nathan scoffed at the wall where the music could be heard through.

"Today blows man," Nathan commented "first our party getting rained out now this? We gotta listen to your neighbors shitty indie music?"

Victoria finished fastening the tape over the smoke detector and then stepped off the chair as she spoke.

"Yeah, that's Max's room. You know, that knew girl. She's honestly so cliche it hurts."

"Well, so are you, Vic"

"Oh you're one to talk Mr. rebellious rich kid" Victoria laughed while Nathan playfully pushed her. She joined Nathan on her couch, taking a cigarette from him and letting him light it.

The two of them had banter like this often. Many people assume that they're dating, but they were really more like brother and sister. Part smoking buddies, part philosophical contemplation buddies. Although those two things often went hand in hand, depending on what they were smoking.

The two seniors were undoubtedly stereotypical on the outside, but to them what they appeared to be didn't matter. Victoria and Nathan both knew that they were more than what they looked, and that was all they needed.

Nathan noticed the muffled music become a little louder and rolled his eyes.

"Do you have to deal with this all the time?" He asked pointing at the wall.

"Ugh, yes," Victoria groaned "This strange folk music or something that she plays all the time. I don't even think there's a genre to classify the shit. Even worse is when she's playing guitar on her own. Same with Kate a room down, except she plays the violin at 6 goddamn AM and wakes me up!"

Nathan hummed in response. In the following silence Victoria trailed off in thought, both of them taking another drag of their cigarettes.

"Except, now that I think about it that slut hasn't woken me up with that shitty scratching for about a week now, about damn time…"

"Probably too busy making out with random guys." Nathan sneered, but he didn't think he really meant it. Honestly felt bad for Kate, but Vic had already taken this whole "Kate's a slut!" thing too far for him to stop it. He regretted even bringing that rumor up, but he had to play along. At least for now.

"Oh! Don't even get me started!..." Victoria trailed off.

He truly regretted talking about Kate like this, the guilt weighed him down more and more with every insult she received but it was the only way he could protect himself. To hide the secret…

"-Right? Nathan, right?" Victoria prompted as thunder rumbled in the distance.

Nathan snapped his head back up. His eyes meeting with a worried friend. He hadn't heard a single word of what she said.

"Dude, you look like you just killed someone. Whats with the face Nate?"

Nathan quickly composed himself again.

"Nothin' just timed out for a bit."

Victoria cocked a eyebrow at him as if to say "I know you Nathan, what's really wrong" but Nathan just looked the other way, picking a random poster on her wall to stare at.

Victoria was really the only person who got to see him like this. Even his own family stayed distant from Nathan, and that was partially why Victoria took pity on him. But since this new year started Victoria stopped getting that full picture, and she couldn't quite tell what was up. _Maybe the new girl?..._ She thought.

Without realizing, the two of them both started bouncing their legs as they sat side by side on Victoria's plush pink couch. Nathan worrying for Kate, and Victoria worrying about Nathan.

These moments were becoming all too common this new year at Blackwell High.


	3. Max Caulfield

**Max Caulfield**

Max carefully analyzed the photo before her. She was very particular in the way that she wanted this picture to turn out, and wondered if it would be better to just scrap and reshoot.

Her iPod finished a song she hadn't been paying attention to and started a new one just as another boom of thunder shook the building. _Good thing I didn't make plans today. Good ol' rainy Oregon._

She had just moved back to her once hometown Arcadia Bay to go to the photography school there, Blackwell academy. Sure the towns run down, but all of her best memories of adventuring with her best friend were made here, and she treasured them deeply. _Chloe Price,_ Max remembered.

She shook the thought of her long gone friend Chloe to try and focus on the photo again. _My head is centered, and the photos and lights on the wall are symmetrical but… Maybe the lighting in this one is just all wrong. That damn overcast…_

Just then she heard a knock on her door. Before she even had time to get up the girl on the other end yelled

"Turn your shitty folk music down! The whole damn dorm can hear it!"

Before Max could even jump up to respond, the girl stomped off, and she heard the door across from her slam.

 _Crap, I pissed off Victoria._

Max quickly moved to her stereo and turned the volume down several notches, hoping that it was better.

 _Damn, I didn't even know my music was that loud! How embarrassing…_

Max flopped onto her bed, feeling her ears become red with embarrassment.

For some reason she thought of what Chloe might do right now. Probably yell back at Victoria and keep the music turned up. She was always more upfront and pushy than Max was. Never afraid to get her hands dirty.

 _She probably isn't even like that anymore. I haven't seen her in years, there's no telling what she's like now. Why am I thinking about her so much?_

Max turned her head to the tattered scrap book on her bedside table, conveniently opened to a page with her and Chloe on it.

 _I need to contact her and let her know I'm back in town. The sooner I stop procrastinating and just get it over with the less mad she'll be at me for staying out of touch for so long. She's probably already beyond pissed at me for leaving her at such a vulnerable time. Im such an asshole…_

Max sighed and covered her face with a pillow for a moment, overwhelmed by the guilt and worry with this whole situation.

 _I can do it tomorrow,_ she thought.

 _Chloe can wait one more day._


	4. Chloe Price

**Chloe Price**

Chloe laid down on the soft grass, looking up at the makeshift roof of a once lively hideout. She heard the thunder faintly from farther into town, and noticed it was starting to lightly drizzle rain.

A drop landed on her cheek through a hole in the roof, and Chloe closed her eyes.

 _Where did you go Rachel… Why did you leave without me._

Chloe took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind and keep from crying. She sat up to look at everything Rachel had left behind, everything _they_ had left behind.

She quickly wiped her eyes and jumped up from her spot on the dirt, dusting off the back of her clothing.

 _That storm is heading closer, I gotta get back home…_

Walking out of the hideout once beloved to her, she turned to look at the whole junkyard. The rusty scraps of cars and old wood cluttered the edges of the area, making it truly hidden.

For some reason, although she couldn't tell why, she felt that this last time of her leaving this place would be special. That perhaps life after this moment will never be the same as it was… Although she had no idea why.

Chloe hopped into her old pickup truck and turned the keys which she left in the ignition. The car gurgled as if it had just pressed the snooze button on an alarm clock, and went silent.

 _Damn._

She turned it again, with more gumption this time. Only rumbles, and the car went quiet again.

It was too overwhelming now. Sometimes it's the little things that just...

Chloe slammed on her steering wheel, fighting back tears which would inevitably fall.

 _I was doing so well. Why am I getting so worked up?_

Her episode had already started, Chloe just leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. Rachel, her best friend who had disappeared 4 months ago, was the only thing she could think about. And it hurt so much. So many questions lingered in her mind.

 _Is she dead? Did she leave me? Did she even know that I loved her? Does she miss me too? Why did she leave me?... Why did she leave me? Why?..._

 _I loved her._

As if on cue the thunder rumbled and she choked back a sob. It was pouring rain now. But Chloe hardly noticed.

She doubted this misery would ever end.


	5. Overwhelmed

**Kate Marsh**

"Kate?... Kate, What did you put for this problem?

Kate snapped out of her daze and turned to her friend Alyssa. She heard kids farther back in the classroom giggle and whisper to each other, feeding Kate's ever growing paranoia.

"Uhm. I got 18 for that one…"

Math was Kate's most dreaded class. She wasn't bad at math really, in fact she was quite good at it. It's just that her worst nightmares Victoria Chase and Nathan Prescott are in that two of them alone are enough trouble, enduring them together though was _hell._

This crazy rumor about her had gone so far she'd started believing it herself.

 _What if I really did make-out with all those boys? Is this my fault?..._

Alyssa gently nudged her obviously downtrodden friend, and flashed a sweet smile.

"Don't worry about them Kate, rumors don't define you."

Somehow Alyssa always knew the right thing to say. Guess that's what friends of 5 years are best at. But this reassurance only gives temporary satisfaction, and then the heavy weight of her reputation settled back in, dropping right to her stomach.

Kate felt herself getting teary eyed and knew that she needed a break. She shot her hand up to ask to go to the restroom, and the teacher simply nodded at her.

As Kate was making her way to the door she felt a crumpled paper hit her back, and the following giggles and hushes which were unmistakably Victoria Chase's.

She didn't need to read it. She knew what it would say.

Not even bothering to turn back and look, she covered her face as she sped through the door and out of the school, desperately searching for a place where she could be as far away from school as possible.

 _It would be another shitty day_...


	6. Vortex Party

**Nathan Prescott**

Nathan couldn't stop thinking about the image of Kates eyes today. The guilt was laying harder on him than ever. This was absolutely his fault.

 _I've caused so much pain… But I can't tell anyone… I can't._

He felt a buzz in his pocket and lazily whipped out his phone.

 **Victoria sent at 6:56 PM**

 **Nathan? Wtf just reply already. You got the party supplies or nah?**

Ah. Yes. Sometimes he forgot that the majority of his 'friends' are only 'friends' because of his 'resources.'

 _Victorias not like that though. We're the only ones who really get each other, she's just nagging me for the sake of the other kids._

 **You sent at 6:57 PM**

 **Yesssss vic chill im coming**

Nathan popped up from his bed and glanced to the bag of totally-not-suspicious-items at his feet. He put on his sneakers, snatched the bag and left the room.

Once in the hall he scanned behind him to check for David the security guard. After the first time David caught him with booze the man had watched him like a hawk, and Nathan was not ready to hear it from his father again.

The coast was clear, and Nathan was on track for Vortex Club hideout numero uno, the lighthouse.


	7. The Lighthouse

**Chloe Price**

The lighthouse used to be a symbol of hope to Chloe. That any ship at sea could find its way home, they need only follow the light. And anytime Chloe needed somebody, a friend would be there to help. A glimmer of sunshine, of safety...

Anyway, that's what it _used_ to be. Now the lighthouse held nothing but nostalgia of the unhappy kind, since her father died and Max ditched her. And then Rachel came and ditched her too... Nonetheless, she still visited it sometimes. Sat at the bench which overlooked their little bay town, and pretended that one of her two ex-best friends were there next to her.

It was during one of these visits on a particularly rainy week that Chloe came across the absolute douche-crew that was the Vortex Club.

From below the trail Chloe heard the high-pitched squeal of a laugh that could only belong to Victoria Chase, a former peer of Chloe. And Rachel…

That was one of the problems with Rachel. She had other friends, and plenty of enemies as well, While little ol' Chloe over here only had her depressing thoughts and Rachel. It made Chloe miss her even more to think that perhaps she was never there for her in the first place.

 _That doesn't matter now_ , Chloe thought. _Gotta escape from the douche-crew before they interrupt my pity party._ Chloe twisted her head around, searching for a suitable hiding place or escape route. _Agh.. Nada._ She jumped off the bench and paced around a little more searching every corner that could maybe be a trail back to town. She found nothing. The only choice left was to hide in the light house. She ran up to the steps and jiggled the knob, luckily the old door was unlocked by someone. She stepped in and slammed the door behind her.

The tower was dusty, dirty, and sad. The only light source was the crusted over windows, and the sunset illuminated the room in dim warmth. It was musty aswell, but Chloe resisted the urge to cough for fear of the approaching teen gang hearing her. The voices were getting louder, and soon Chloe could also pick out the voices of Nathan, Taylor, Hayden, Courtney, Logan, Zachary, and Dana. _Nearly the whole gang's here, whoopty fuckin doo!_ Chloe muttered to herself.

That's when she heard a faint rustle from above her on the spiraling staircase.


	8. New Friends

**Kate Marsh and Chloe Price**

 _Crap. She totally heard me. I'm about to be skinned alive by a punk girl before I ever even clear my name. This is how I'll be remembered. The girl who made out with a bunch of boys at a party she doesn't remember and was then literally eaten by a scary blue-haired girl who found her in an abandoned lighthouse. This is fine. Everythings fine._

Everything was not fine. At least, not to Kate. After her episode in class she ran as far as her legs could take her. Eventually as the trails became thinner and her legs more tired, she found herself here. At the top of the old lighthouse overlooking a crystal ocean, and the storm that just passed over visible on the horizon. She cried, and napped, and cried some more, and eventually she realized that it was already sunset, so she should head back to the dorms. That's when she found herself in this situation.

Kate couldn't help but jolt when she realized somebody had come into the light house. That's when the somebody looked up, and when their eyes met neither said a word. Kate found herself staring at what was possibly the most stereotypical edgy teen she had ever seen. The stranger stared and furrowed her eyebrows. She obviously had questions held back to make sure nobody near outside could hear her.

Kate looked out of the broken window she had been napping at, and then back down to the girl. Outside, the swirling pool of angst had started drinking whatever the stuff they brought was, and a few of them were dancing to music from one of their phones. Upon looking back, Kate saw that the edgy girl had started tiptoeing up the stairs. She moved almost as if she would scare Kate away if she went any faster. The two didn't break eye-contact the rest of the way up, and eventually when the mystery girl reached Kate she spoke.

"Hey."

Kate could feel the heat in her face, she had no idea how to handle this situation.

"Hi."

"Uhh what brings you here?" The blue-haired girl questioned.

"Uhm. Nothing much"

She seemed almost annoyed at how timid Katewas. "Okay, What's your name?"

"Kate."

"Okay, I'm Chloe."

Kate was trying her best to try and keep the conversation natural, she had a horrible tendency of sounding weird. Kate tried her best to become comfortable and question Chloe next.

"Alright. So, you're hiding from the vortex club I guess?"

The punk girl sighed, "Yeah, I was just chilling on the bench but I didn't really have a way to leave when I realized they were coming." After explaining she paused and stared at Kate for a moment, silently taking notice of the bags under her eyes. "And what were you doing up here?"

Kate tensed up. "I was, just… chillin."

"Chilling"

"Yeah"

"Your eyes are puffy"

"Well gee that's nice of you to say" Kate chuckled, but it was really a hollow feeling. It reminded her of how hard it is to ignore this sinking feeling in her stomach. She felt like she was falling into hell.

Chloe giggled at the Kate's sudden sense of humor "No, I mean I can tell you weren't just 'chilling.'"

"Well, what do you want me to say? Those kids down there embarrassed me in class and I ran away here? That I sat here and cried all day because I'm not sure what to do? I can't just say that to people." Kate mentally facepalmed, _you just did dumbass…_

Putting aside the sudden confession, Chloe investigated, "You go to Blackwell?"

"Yes." Kate sighed. "What about you?"

"I dropped out from there, almost 2 years ago now."

"Oh. wow. I don't really remember you."

"That's fine, I don't remember you either. It seems pretty obvious we hang out in different crowds."

"Yeah, me in no crowd and you in the edgy one"

Both girls were smiling now, and Kate was glad she finally managed to lighten the mood and get comfortable with Chloe.

"Dang girl, you got some sass."

"I'm only sassy because I'm mad. I… don't normally act this way with people."

"Because of Victoria and her little bitch Nathan?"

Kate's voice went soft again. "How did you know it was them specifically?"

"I've had... Encounters with those two. Especially nathan… That fucker actually roofied me once…" Chloe trailed off, glancing out the window and frowning.

This comment made Kate's breath stop all at once. _I'm not crazy… Nathan must have drugged me that night when I…_

Chloe noticed the sudden paleness of Kate's face. "Hey, you okay?" She asked. "Wait. Do you know something about Nathan? He didn't do anything to you did he?" Chloe was nearly heart-broken. _No, if this sweet little innocent girl was so much as touched by Nathan..._ "Well, Chloe... I'm just not sure what I saw. What I do know is that at a vortex club party I somehow got blackout drunk despite drinking only one sip of wine… But everything after that is so blurry I don't know if Nathan, or…" She felt so helpless. She couldn't even explain it properly.

"Wow, dude this is really fucked up I'm so sorry Kate." Chloe sympathized. Although she sounded like she wanted to kill Nathan more than anything.

Kate giggled and blushed slightly "No don't be… I feel like, I mean it's my fault for even going, y'know?"

Chloe sputtered slightly "No, Kate, it's not. You're literally the only victim here. God, I wanna punch that bastard. I could do it right now, just hop down there and punch his little ass so hard he runs back to blackwell."

Kate was very taken back by her new friend's sudden rage. "Uhm. You really shouldn't, Chloe."

Chloe looked back to Kate, realizing that she got way too worked up and possibly scared this seemingly porcelain girl. She sighed and composed herself. "...Yeah. But we gotta do something about him. I mean in this state he could just go and do it again to another girl. He could be doing it right now! They have drinks down there…"

The two girls both peeked out the window to see how the event had evolved in this short time from a gathering to a full on rave. One of the kids pulled out their speaker and was blasting bad club music at full volume. Nathan was chatting with Victoria, near the edge of the small crowd. The pair was swaying to the music as they drank and laughed.

Kate wondered just how much more legitimate this case could be with two victims now. Alone she felt crazy, but with another girl… "I… Should we call the police?"

"No! We can't! That'll just get us in trouble. Nathans dad basically owns Arcadia Bay, Nathan would be waltzing past the police and immediately back into the city to continue his pervy shit. Unless, if we took care of it ourselves." Chloe explained. She looked at Kate awaiting input.

Kate was visibly uncomfortable. "That sounds like a really bad idea Chloe… I mean, if you're really gonna do something like that, please, just leave me out of it." She was trying very hard to be passive. The two girl's clashing personalities obviously shared some difference in intensity.

Chloe once again reminded herself to tone it down. She spoke quietly but with more passion "Kate, don't you want revenge on Nathan? Or at least to make sure he never hurts another girl again?"

The doubts came flooding back to her. "Chloe, I really mean it when I say I don't feel like he's guilty of what happened to me… I mean, I think he roofied me yeah but all the stuff I did after and him recording it? That's not worth hurting someone over. I can prove that I embarrassed myself, but not that Nathan hurt me besides the bullying."

"But I can prove that he hurt me! When I realized I was drugged and came back to my senses I tore up shit in his room! I have evidence! And with you backing me up I have no guilty conscience for hurting that perv. We could stop him, without cops, without anyone but ourselves."

Kate protested, "Chloe even if that was entirely okay and moral how would you do it? Drug him back? Frame him for something worse? Just… shoot him? We can't do that Chloe. Neither of us have the right to take another person's life. That's in God's hands. If he's guilty he can pay for his sins in hell. We all can…" The tone became incredibly more somber as silence fell in the light house. The only sound was muffled pop music and the raunchy teens dancing to it.

"Kate, you don't actually think any of this is your fault right? All you did was go to a party, that's not a sin.'

"But I should have known better Chloe. It is my fault. If I was just smart enough to have not gone-"

"Kate stop that! Please listen to me-"

"You don't understand Chloe, you don't even know me. Do you know how disappointed my family was once they saw that god awful video of me at the party? Someone actually sent it to them. And now even my mother thinks I'm a whore. She wants to take me out of school here because she thinks I'm sleeping around and making out with guys all the time now.…" She was tearing up now, and Chloe felt absolutely horrible.

As the tears started falling and Kate let out everything she was holding back, Chloe could think of nothing to do but take this poor girl into her arms and hold her until the new friends fell asleep.


End file.
